Warmer, drier weather improves Iowa crop condition

Monday

Jul 8, 2013 at 12:01 AM

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Warmer and mostly drier weather is helping Iowa farmers near completion of corn and soybean planting and improving crop condition.The Department of Agriculture says 99 percent of the corn crop is in the ground as of Sunday and 96 percent of the crop has emerged, which is three weeks behind normal.Warm humid days helped corn improve. The good to excellent rating increased 3 percentage points with 57 percent of the crop now rated in those two categories and 29 percent is fair. Fourteen percent is poor or very poor.Ninety-six percent of the soybean crop has been planted, about two weeks later than normal. Eighty-nine percent of the soybean crop has emerged, eight percentage points behind the five-year average.The condition of soybeans also improved slightly.

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